Allie Seibel
Associated Students of Colorado State University senator Jackson Singleton listens to former senator Madeleine Kamberg's remarks regarding the revised university policy on free speech during a senate session Oct. 8. Multiple members of the campus community attended the session to voice their disapproval of the policy changes.
The Associated Students of Colorado State University convened Nov. 5 for the 12th session of the 55th Senate.
Following the swearing in of new senators and associates, senate moved into gallery input, during which multiple CSU students and Fort Collins community members spoke in support of Resolution #5519 and shared their experiences with free speech on campus.
Additionally, students shared concerns about campus safety, especially for undocumented students due to the alleged presence of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on campus, and concerns over student basic needs as SNAP benefits are cut around the nation.
Sen. Yoseline Rivera, co-author of the resolution, discussed recent issues on campus as a result of recent federal directives and encouraged the audience to demand CSU increase transparency with students and staff.
“Call on CSU to prioritize basic needs, student safety and mental health,” Rivera said. “We can’t fix what we refuse to discuss. Our voices as students can push the university to prioritize health, accessibility and support for every Ram.”
Kemal Perdana, a Ph.D. student, shared his experience with CSU administration washing away chalk messages written by the university’s chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine. Additionally, he voiced concerns with Immigration and Customs Enforcement being allowed on campus.
“As people, we have the right to speak out and challenge injustice; we have the right to speak up against genocide; … we have a right to speak up about our neighbors being forcibly detained by ICE,” Perdana said. “CSU’s unilaterally imposed restrictions on free speech, removal of pronouns and gender markers on RAMweb, allowing ICE on campus — all these capitulations to the Trump administration show that CSU is willing to be on the wrong side of history.”
Perdana then called on ASCSU to ensure suppression of free speech on campus never happens again and hold the university accountable for its actions.
“I ask the ASCSU Senate and everyone here to hold CSU accountable, to protect our rights to free speech,” Perdana said. “We have a lot of work to do, but we are not free until we are all free.”
Following gallery input, Resolution #5519, “Regarding Free Speech and Peaceful Assembly at CSU: Transparency,” was introduced.
The resolution condemns Colorado State University for modifying its Free Speech and Peaceful Assembly policy without informing or consulting students. It also calls for a public pledge by the university to take accountability, protect freedom of expression and release a report explaining the edits quietly made to the policy.
Following Q&A, senate moved into committee of the whole, where all senators had the opportunity to share their opinions regarding the resolution and discuss any edits needed.
After exiting the committee of the whole, the resolution was expedited and passed by voice vote.
Lastly, senate then moved into reports, during which the legislative, judicial and executive branches provided updates on their respective work and initiatives.
ASCSU Senate will resume Nov. 12.
Reach Laila Shekarchian at news@collegian.com or on social media @RMCollegian.